The present invention relates to the field of automated packaging, and more specifically, to a method of or an apparatus for inserting a booklet such as a description into a plastic case for an optical disk such as CD (i.e. Compact Disk), DVD (i.e. Digital Video Disk) or the like.
A case for an optical disk generally has an openable case body. An optical disk is loaded into one side of the case body and a booklet is inserted into the other side of the case body. On the front face of the case body is provided a cover for inserting a title sheet.
Conventionally, as there were no automated packaging machines to load an optical disk and insert a title sheet and a booklet into a case, these loading and inserting steps were carried out by hand, which was very troublesome.
The solution to this problem is identified in Onishi, Japanese patent application No. 11-217277, published on Feb. 20, 2001 as JP 2001-48118A. As shown in Onishi, an automated optical disk loading machine is provided where loading of an optical disk and insertion of a title sheet and a booklet can be automatically conducted.
In operation, as a case conveyor conveys a plurality of cases, an optical disk loading device loads an optical disk into a case, a title sheet inserting device inserts a title sheet into the insertion space of the case, and a booklet inserting device inserts a booklet into an engagement claw of the case.
The booklet inserting device is comprised of a suction cup to hold a booklet and a transferring mechanism to transfer the suction cup. At the time of insertion of a booklet, the suction cup holds a booklet on the top of the stacked booklets at the stacking station. In this condition, the suction cup is transferred to the case by the transferring mechanism and a booklet held by the suction cup is inserted into the claw of the case.
In a recent case for an optical disk, a booklet tends to contain more pages and to be thick. In the aforementioned machine, however, a booklet is held by only a suction cup while a booklet is transferred from the stacking station to the case.
Thus, though a booklet of thin thickness can be held by a suction cup, a booklet of thicker thickness cannot be held by the suction cup. As shown in FIG. 8, when a booklet has more pages with a thicker thickness, a page 111 held by the suction cup 100 buckles due to the weight of the remaining pages 110 that cannot be held by the suction cup 100. As a result, such a booklet cannot be securely inserted into the engagement claw of a case.
The main object of the present invention is to securely insert a booklet into an engagement claw of a case.
The present invention is directed to a method of or an apparatus for inserting a booklet into an engagement claw of a case.
The method of inserting a booklet includes the steps comprising:
(i) holding a booklet by suction and unloading the booklet from a stacking station having a plurality of booklets stacked therein or thereon;
(ii) gripping the booklet unloaded from the stacking station; and
(iii) transferring the gripped booklet to the case and inserting the booklet into the claw of the case.
Preferably, the engagement claw is pushed up at the time of inserting a booklet into the claw.
The apparatus for inserting a booklet includes a suction cup to hold a booklet and unload it from a stacking station having a plurality of booklets stacked therein or thereon, and a gripping device to grip the booklet unloaded by the suction cup. The apparatus also includes a transferring device for transferring the gripping device along with the booklet gripped by the gripping device toward the case to insert the booklet into the claw of the case.
Preferably, the gripping device is comprised of a base on which a booklet is placed, and a cylinder to sandwich a booklet between the base and the cylinder.
The apparatus may include a push-up member adapted to push up the claw at the time of insertion of a booklet.
In a booklet insertion method of the present invention, first, a booklet stacked at the stacking station is held by suction and unloaded from the stacking station. The unloaded booklet is gripped and in this condition, the gripped booklet is transferred to the case and is inserted into the engagement claw of the case.
According to this method, a booklet held by suction and unloaded from the stacking station is gripped. Consequently, even when a booklet has more pages with a thicker thickness, the whole pages of the booklet are securely held and are transferred to the engagement claw of a case. Thereby, a booklet will not buckle at the time of transfer, and a booklet can be securely inserted into the engagement claw of a case.
In operation of a booklet insertion apparatus of the present invention, first, a booklet stacked at the stacking station is held by the suction cup and unloaded from the stacking station. The unloaded booklet is gripped by the gripping device. Then, the gripping device is transferred to the case and a booklet gripped by the gripping device is inserted into the engagement claw of a case.
According to this apparatus, a booklet held by suction cup and unloaded from the stacking station is gripped by the gripping device. Consequently, even when a booklet is a thicker one, the whole booklet is securely held and transferred to the engagement claw of a case and inserted thereinto.